Cleaning device and cleaning system

Abstract

A cleaning device having an electrical interface for interacting with an electrical counter-interface and a base station to charge the cleaning device. The cleaning device being configured to move autonomously in a processing environment, to carry out cleaning tasks, and to move into a service position with a base station. The cleaning device determines a range of service functions offered by a base station. When the cleaning device is in the service position, at least one measured value of a voltage or measured value of a voltage curve at the electrical interface provides a means of identification. This identification is used to determine the range of service functions at the base station or to identify a communication interface for use in determining the range of service functions by a data processing device. A cleaning system, a procedure, and a computer program product associated with the cleaning device is provided.

1 . A cleaning device ( 1 ), having at least one electrical interface ( 2 ) for interacting with an electrical counter-interface ( 3 ) of at least one base station ( 4 ) at least for charging an energy storage device of the cleaning device ( 1 ),
 wherein the cleaning device ( 1 ) is at least designed and set up to move autonomously in at least one processing environment ( 7 ), to carry out cleaning tasks and to move into a service position ( 8 ) at a base station ( 4 ) for service purposes,   wherein the cleaning device ( 1 ) is also at least designed and set up in such a way that, at least when it is in the service position ( 8 ), at least one measured value of a voltage present at the electrical interface ( 2 ) and/or at least one measured value of a voltage curve ( 20 ) present at the electrical interface can be determined as a means of identification;   wherein the cleaning device uses the means of identification to determine at least one range of service functions ( 13 ) of the base station ( 4 ) or at least to provide the means of identification at at least one communication interface ( 9 ) for use in the determination of a range of service functions ( 13 ) by a data processing device ( 10 ).   
     
     
         2 . The cleaning device ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the determination of the range of service functions ( 13 ) comprises a comparison of at least one measured value with measured values of voltage kept available in a storage device ( 11 ), with different voltage measured values being assigned to base stations ( 4 ) with different ranges of service functions ( 13 ). 
     
     
         3 . The cleaning device ( 1 ) according to  claim 2 , wherein the cleaning device ( 1 ) is designed and set up in such a way that at least one measured value of the voltage and/or at least one measured value of the voltage curve is determined immediately after the cleaning device ( 1 ) has been situated in the service position ( 8 ) and/or that at least one voltage measured value is determined at least at a predetermined point in time and/or that at least one voltage measured value is determined after at least a predetermined elapse of time after the cleaning device ( 1 ) has been situated in the service position ( 8 ). 
     
     
         4 . The cleaning device ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the cleaning device ( 1 ) is designed and set up in such a way that the determined range of service functions ( 13 ) for each base station ( 4 ) is linked to position data of the respective base station ( 4 ) in the processing environment ( 7 ). 
     
     
         5 . The cleaning device ( 1 ) according to  claim 4 , wherein the cleaning device ( 1 ) is designed and set up in such a way that, using at least one determined range of service functions ( 13 ) in conjunction with the position data ( 15 ), at least one base station ( 4 ) and at least one other item of data is used from the following:
 data about the size of the processing environment ( 7 ),   data about the degree of soiling of at least part of the processing environment ( 7 ),   data about the status of an energy storage device of the cleaning device ( 1 ), and/or   data about regeneration of a wet cleaning pad and/or data about the fill status of a dirt collection container ( 18 ),   to determine at least one probable point in time or period of time for a service requirement for the cleaning device ( 1 ), with the probable point of time or period of time being used when creating and/or adjusting a navigation and/or cleaning task plan for the cleaning device ( 1 ).   
     
     
         6 . The cleaning device ( 1 ) according to  claim 2 , wherein the data processing device of the cleaning device ( 1 ) is designed and set up in such a way as to determine at a specific point in time a current service requirement for the cleaning device ( 1 ) and using the current service requirement of the cleaning device ( 1 ), to select at least one base station ( 4 ) that is at least partially suitable for the service requirement determined. 
     
     
         7 . The cleaning device ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the cleaning device ( 1 ) is designed and set up in such a way, using at least the determined range of service functions ( 13 ) for at least one base station ( 4 ) and using data from at least one of the following additional cleaning features:
 data on the usual soiling of the processing environment ( 7 ),   data on the desired cleaning intensity of the processing environment ( 7 ),   data on the intake capacity of a dirt collection container ( 18 ),   data on the regeneration of a wet cleaning pad and/or the maximum running time of an energy storage device,   data on normal contamination of the processing environment ( 7 ) determined during previous navigation and/or cleaning movements,   data on the desired cleaning intensity of the processing environment ( 7 ),   data on the intake capacity of a dirt collection container ( 18 ), and/or   data on the regeneration of a wet cleaning pad and/or the maximum running time of an energy storage device,   to determine at least one optimized location ( 17 ) for at least one base station ( 4 ) in the processing environment ( 7 ), in order to give at least one determined optimized location ( 17 ) to a user via at least one display device.   
     
     
         8 . The cleaning device ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the cleaning device ( 1 ) is designed and set up in such a way that it receives data about at least one preferred location of the base station ( 4 ) in the processing environment ( 7 ) via at least one input device,
 wherein the cleaning device uses the data about the preferred location, the determined range of service functions ( 13 ) for at least one base station ( 4 ), and data from at least one of the following additional cleaning characteristics:
 data on the usual soiling of the processing environment ( 7 ), 
 data on the desired cleaning intensity of the processing environment ( 7 ), 
 data on the intake capacity of a dirt collection container ( 18 ), 
 data on regeneration of a wet cleaning pad and/or the maximum running time of an energy storage device, 
 data on normal soiling of the processing environment ( 7 ) determined during previous navigation and/or work movements, 
 data on the desired cleaning intensity of the processing environment ( 7 ), 
 data on the intake capacity of a dirt collection container ( 18 ), and/or 
 data on regeneration of a wet cleaning pad and/or the maximum running time of an energy storage device, 
   to determine the preferred location for its suitability as a location in the context of a navigation and/or cleaning task plan.   
     
     
         9 . A cleaning system ( 16 ), the cleaning system ( 16 ) comprising at least one base station ( 4 ) and at least one cleaning device ( 1 ),
 wherein the cleaning device ( 1 ) has at least one electrical interface ( 2 ) for interacting with an electrical counter-interface ( 3 ) of the base station ( 4 ) at least for charging at least one energy storage device of the cleaning device ( 1 ),   wherein the cleaning device ( 1 ) is designed and set up to move autonomously at least in a processing environment ( 7 ), to carry out cleaning tasks and to move into a service position ( 8 ) at a base station ( 4 ) for service purposes,   wherein voltage can be provided in the service position ( 8 ) via the electrical counter-interface ( 3 ) and the electrical interface ( 2 ),   wherein the cleaning device ( 1 ) is also designed and set up in such a way that, at least in the service position ( 8 ), to determine at least one measured value of the voltage present at the electrical interface ( 2 ) and/or at least one measured value of the voltage curve ( 20 ) as a means of identification,   wherein the cleaning device uses the means of identification, to determine at least one range of service functions ( 13 ) of the base station ( 4 ) or provides at least the means of identification at at least one communication interface ( 9 ) for use in determining the range of service functions ( 13 ) by means of a data processing device ( 10 ).   
     
     
         10 . The cleaning system ( 16 ) according to  claim 9 , wherein at least two cleaning devices ( 1 ) and/or at least two base stations ( 4 ) are present,
 wherein each cleaning device ( 1 ) is designed and set up to determine the range of service functions ( 13 ) of each base station ( 4 ) in the service position ( 8 ) or to provide at least one measured value at at least one communication interface ( 9 ) for use in determining the range of service functions ( 13 ) by means of a data processing device ( 10 ).   
     
     
         11 . The cleaning system ( 16 ) according to  claim 9 , wherein at least two base stations ( 4 ) are present, and that there is a difference in the voltages that can be determined for base stations ( 4 ) with a different range of functions. 
     
     
         12 . The cleaning system ( 16 ) according to  claim 9 , wherein the base station ( 4 ) is designed and set up to control the electrical counter-interface ( 3 ) in such a way that the voltage that can be measured by the cleaning device ( 1 ) is changed at least temporarily. 
     
     
         13 . The cleaning system ( 16 ) according to  claim 9 , wherein at least one data processing device ( 10 ) is present, and that the data processing device ( 10 ) is designed and set up in such a way that at least at one point in time, the determination of the need for service of at least one cleaning device ( 1 ) is made, and using the current service requirement of at least one cleaning device ( 1 ), at least one base station ( 4 ) is selected that is suitable for this service requirement. 
     
     
         14 . A procedure ( 100 ) for operating at least one cleaning device ( 1 ), that has at least one electrical interface ( 2 ) for interacting with an electrical counter-interface ( 3 ) of at least one base station ( 4 ), with the cleaning device ( 1 ) being at least designed and set up to move autonomously in at least one processing environment ( 7 ), to carry out cleaning tasks and to move into a service position ( 8 ) on the base station ( 4 ) for service purposes, and when it is in the service position ( 8 ), voltage can be provided via the electrical interface, which comprises at least the following procedural steps:
 Determination ( 101 ) of at least one measured value of the voltage at the electrical interface ( 2 ) of the cleaning device ( 1 ) in the service position ( 8 ) and/or determination ( 101 ) of at least one measured value of a voltage curve ( 20 ) at the electrical interface ( 2 ) of the cleaning device ( 1 ) in the service position ( 8 ) as a means of identification, and   Determination ( 102 ) of at least one range of service functions ( 13 ) of the base station ( 4 ) using the means of identification by comparing at least the determined voltage measured value and/or the measured value of the voltage curve ( 20 ) with voltage measured values held available in at least one storage device wherein the voltage measured values that are held available in the storage device, are assigned to data on the range of service functions ( 13 ) of different base stations ( 4 ).   
     
     
         15 . A computer program product, comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a processor unit of a data processing device, directs the data processing device to determine at least one current service requirement of a cleaning device ( 1 ) at least one point in time, to select at least one suitable base station ( 4 ) for processing at least part of the current service requirement using data on known ranges of service functions assigned to individual base stations ( 4 ), and to direct the cleaning device to move to the service position ( 8 ) at the selected base station ( 4 ). 
     
     
         16 . The cleaning device ( 1 ) according to  claim 2 , wherein the storage device is a database. 
     
     
         17 . The cleaning device ( 1 ) according to  claim 2 , wherein the storage device ( 11 ) is kept available by a data processing device of the cleaning device ( 1 ) or that the storage device ( 11 ) is kept available by a spatially separated data processing device ( 10 ), such that the storage device ( 11 ) is accessed by a data processing device of the cleaning device ( 10 ) via at least one communication interface ( 9 ). 
     
     
         18 . The cleaning device ( 1 ) according to  claim 6 , wherein after selection of the at least one base station ( 4 ), the data processing device ( 10 ) directs the cleaning device ( 1 ) to move at least in the direction of a selected base station ( 4 ) with the known position data ( 15 ), or to direct it to move to at least any base station ( 4 ) to determine the range of service functions ( 13 ). 
     
     
         19 . The cleaning system ( 16 ) according to  claim 11 , wherein the difference in voltages is at least 1.0 V. 
     
     
         20 . The procedure ( 100 ) according to  claim 14 , wherein the storage device is a database.